Train Ride Day 4

POV of Peeta

On Train

"Alright Ricky come on we need to get started. We only have a week and a half before you're thrown into an arena with 23 other teens that want to make it out. Now you know I want my niece to win, but that is not going to stop me from providing you with what you need." As we walk down the hallway I can tell his mind is elsewhere.

"Do you think Tess hates me?" I thought he was over what happened between them. I know I've tried to. It makes training him really hard knowing he hurt one of my favorite nieces. We arrive at the weight room. I turn to him.

"I doubt she hates you. I do know she's already in an alliance with the 2 from 4." He looks disappointed. I feel bad for him, but he made his choice. "Don't worry. They asked about you. I'm sure you could join in." That doesn't seem to reassure him. I put my hand on his shoulder and we enter the weight room. Unlike what I know the other mentors are doing, Ricky and I sit down on one of the machines to talk. Katniss and Tess stole the sitting area and we've all decided Haymitch and Ricky shouldn't be in the same room so the dining car was out. "So other than Tess who have you thought about for allies?"

"Not really. I think I might just go it alone. Who knows?" I wish he would focus more. At this rate he's going to die on the first day. Now that's something I have mixed feelings about. I hate watching my tributes die, but on the other hands Tess is my niece and I want her to come home. If she dies I will never be able to look Prim or Vick in the eyes again. I don't think Katniss would forgive herself. She still has nightmares about not making it to Rue on time and watching her die. I think she would snap if Tess doesn't make it home.

"Do you have any game plan?" He shakes his head. All I want to do right now is ring his god damn neck, but I keep my composure. "When you start training next week I want you to check people out. Reconsider having allies. They help a lot in the long run."

"Okay." He paused. "I want Tess to win. It's the least I can do for how bad I hurt her. I already love her and I thought the more time I spent with her, the worse it would get. But her ignoring me…that's made me miss her and want her more than I did before. I know her winning means my death, but I don't think I could live a life without her, without knowing what could have been." He reminds me of me. I remember telling Haymitch I wanted to keep Katniss alive at any cost.

"Listen. I want you to keep yourself alive. You can't make her odds better if you're already dead. So if you're insisting on dying I want you to take as many of the others out before you do." He nods. I'm glad he understands me. I want one of them to make it back. I'd rather it be Tess though. "Now we're going to have plenty more time to talk strategy and I want to take advantage of it. Trust me once you start working with Effie you'll miss the talking." And of course as I say this Effie comes in to inform us of lunch.

"It is nice to know how you really feel Peeta." She seemed hurt.

"Effie you know I didn't mean anything by it. All I was trying to say is this is the easiest part of the preparation. The etiquette was the hardest thing for me to get down. And you even said I was better off than some of the tributes before me." She looked skeptical at first. "I am sorry if I insulted you." Slowly a smile creeps across her face. Good, she's forgiven me. This would be hell if she was mad at me.

"Well it is time for lunch now so you better wrap it up and get down there. Haymitch is already eating and as usual he started with a glass of white liquor." I see her discontent in his addiction, but if everyone you loved was killed because of a choice you made, and now someone from your new family may be stolen from you I'm sure you'd drink a lot too.

POV of Finn

On Train

I forgot to shower last night so I jump in now. How am I going to make in into the final 3? I have Angel I need to watch out for. Thank god I have Tess to help me keep her safe. I know she's looking out for herself too and she needs to die for Angel to go back home. The thought of Tess dying does bother me. It hurts a little. I wish they both could win, than I could die happy knowing 2 people that are important to me are safe.

I thought I had plenty of friends in district 4, but when Stephan was the only one that visited me I realized I have never really been a part of any group. I let myself believe I had friends when I really didn't, but Tess, she's different. We don't even know each other and she's willing to risk her safety to help me protect my sister for as long as she can. She promised me that if she beat me she's kill Angel quickly and painlessly. If she plans on keeping her word; which I know she will, I owe her my protection. I owe her my life.

Once I volunteered I thought that the only person that could make me smile was going to be Angel. Seeing her happy was going to justify my decision. Hearing Tess' voice makes me smile though. Seeing how brave she was volunteering for her cousin makes me long to see her in person. She is so beautiful. I would give anything to have met her before this. She's never been to 4 though so it could have never happened. Stephan only met her when he traveled with his parents to see the Mellarks. During the summer they would go to 12 since it was nice up there then. The Mellarks came here during the winter. I met Rue, Taro, and Caramel then. Rue and Angel are the same age and became friends rather quickly. So I am grateful Tess volunteered for her. It would have killed Angel to see Rue's face in the sky, or worse to watch the life leave her body. Just another reason Tess is amazing. We talked for a while and I found out she has a lot of skills that will help with the games. Although you're not supposed to train (even though 1 and 2 clearly do) the Mellarks made sure their children, nieces and nephews were prepared. So Tess can use a bow, set snares, camouflage herself, and so much more. I can't believe how talented she is.

What am I doing? Thinking about Tess like this, I have to ensure her death. It still pains me to think of her death. I know she is the only one I will cry for, unless Angel dies, but I will do everything I can to keep that from happening.

I try to clear my mind of them both dying as I turn the water off. I dry myself with the electric machine the Capitol people use. I wrap a towel around my waist just in case an Avox is in my room. I made that mistake once already, both of our faces turn as red as her uniform. She tried to be professional though, and continued laying out cloths for me. The next day a male Avox was preparing my cloths. I wanted to apologize to her, but I haven't seen her since.

I feel the train come to a stop and I realize we're in the Capitol. I feel my stomach begin to turn as I dawns on me that the games begin in a little over a week. I finish getting dressed as I hear a knock on my door; before I have a chance to answer Angel barges in crying.

"What's wrong?" She runs to me and wraps her arms around my waist.

"I don't want you to die. I wish you could go home right now and send the boy that was reaped." She sobs. "You're going to kill yourself and it's all my fault." I run my fingers through her hair and I hold her close. Seeing her like this makes me feel guilty for coming, but I had no other choice. I couldn't stand back, watching her get on a train that would only bring her back in a small wooden crate. Seeing her die by the hands of another terrified kid or a ruthless killing machine. I needed to protect her, or avenge her; preferably the first one.

"It will all be okay Angel. You'll go home and can grieve with mom and dad. You can all help each other. What's important is you make it back." I wipe her tears and kiss her forehead. "Now the people are waiting for us. We shouldn't keep them waiting." I put on a fake smile to comfort her. It seems to work because she stops crying and grabs my hand.

POV of Slate

In Capitol

"Slate come on, we're going to go watch how pathetic the other districts did at the reapings." Onyx yelled to me. She was with Diamond and Titanium from district 1. I start to walk in their direction as the girls run off giggling. We've been spending a lot of time with them lately. Our mentors said that it's a good idea to develop a bound with each other before the games. They also told us alone that we can learn their weakness by how they act and we can only do that if we spend time with them. I know Chaos wasn't happy about me learning the weaknesses of the careers since I told him I probably won't be one of them, but if either Onyx or I wins he doesn't have to mentor anymore so he bites his tongue and is helping me as much as he can. He hasn't told the others about my desertion yet, which is beneficial for both of us. I know my district will hate me to not being a typical career, but all that matters is my siblings will be safe. I will take them with me to Victor's Village and leave my parents to think about how they destroyed their family.

I know that there are 23 other tributes all fighting for their survival, but I NEED to win. If I don't then Carrara and Paros will be forced to volunteer too. I don't want them to have to kill people to stay alive. I don't want them to be killed by blood thirsty maniacs. I want them to be safe. I know they could be reaped, but in our district there is never a shortage of volunteers.

I arrive at a waiting Titanium. "Can you believe them? They are acting like giddy school girls." He laughs. This is the first time I've seen him have any kind of emotion. I smiled even though their excitement disgusted me. I have to keep up the act until we're in the arena. The only way I will get good supplies without being killed is if they think I am with them. The Capitol should love that. There is always a blindside, but it's near the end. Having on in the beginning will give them a twist they've never had before.

I'm still not sure if I want to be alone or it I want to team up with someone. I'll figure it out in training.

POV of Katniss

On Train

I hear the phone ringing. Prim, Vick and the kids are staying in our house in Victor's Village.

"Hello?" Prim answers the phone.

"Hi Prim, I just wanted to call to check up on you guys."

"We're doing fine I guess, worried about Tess. Rue is beating herself up over Tess volunteering for her. Vick is with her now. Gale and Madge have been stopping by a lot, same with everyone else. Everyone is concerned. How is she doing?"

"She made some new friends. She's in an alliance with my nephew's friend and his little sister. We've broken the rules a little and let Tess and Finn talk. They've bounded quite a bit. She misses you all a lot though."

"I'm glad something good came out of this. Too bad only one of them can win, it's going to hurt the third a lot when the other 2 die." I could hear how sad she was. She isn't the kind of person to wish ill will to someone else, so you know this is hard for her. Obviously she wants her daughter to come home, but you can tell she has a problem with 22 other families losing their child or in the Black's case children. I feel so bad for them. When you watch the district 4 reaping you can hear the mother scream. It must have killed her knowing that both her babies were going into the sick, twisted massacre the Capitol calls entertainment. "Tell her we love her and the whole family is rooting for her. I haven't seen this much talk and excitement since your games." I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad sign.

"I'll tell her. I know she loves you very much. I have to go now. Tell the kids I love them and I'll be home in a month or so." I pause. "Primrose I love you, and I promise Peeta, Haymitch and I are going to do everything to get Tess back safely."

From now on I will be posting alliances at the bottom of the page. They will obviously change as training goes on and when people begin to die. I hope you like it. Please review.

Careers: Diamond, Titanium, Onyx & Slate (for now)

Finn, Angel & Tess

Rose & Elm

Crisis & Scarlet

Alone: Eric, Riley, Carter, Faith, Electra, Falon, Calla, Hazel, Joseph, Gigot, Ricky, Garnet & Isis